The second season of the Sailor Moon anime series, titled Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon R[1][2](美少女戦士セーラームーンR,Bishōjo Senshi Sērā Mūn Āru?), was produced Toei Animation and directed by Junichi Sato and Kunihiko Ikuhara. According to the booklet from the Sailor Moon Memorial Song Box,[3] the letter "R" stands for the word "Romance".

Like the rest of the series, it follows the adventures of Usagi Tsukino and her fellow Sailor Soldiers. The first 13 episodes consist of the "Makaiju arc", while the "Black Moon Clan" arc adapts the fourth to the seventh volumes of the manga by Naoko Takeuchi. After defeating the Dark Kingdom, the Sailor Soldiers encounter the Makaiju aliens. Afterwards, the Black Moon Clan starts planning an operation to steal energy at the Star Points of the future Crystal Tokyo, forcing the Sailor Soldiers to confront them with her daughter from the future, Chibiusa.

The season aired from March 6, 1993 to March 12, 1994 on TV Asahi in Japan. The season was then licensed and heavily edited for a dubbed broadcast and DVD release in English by DIC Entertainment. It was the last season to be dubbed by DIC. The first 25 episodes of their adaptation were aired on the Canadian channel YTV from October 25 to November 28, 1995.[4] Eventually, the remaining 17 episodes aired from October 4 to November 21, 1997, omitting only one of the season's 43 episodes. Starting with the third season, Cloverway Inc. took over dubbing new episodes for broadcast on Cartoon Network. Later, ADV Films rereleased the series in a subtitle-only DVD box set, which also omitted Episode 67 from the release. Eventually, in 2014, Viz Media began redubbing the series from the start. In the 1994 "favorite episode" polls for Animage, "Protect Chibiusa! Clash of the 10 Warriors" came in eighth place.[5] The following year, "The Final Battle Between Light and Darkness! Love Sworn to the Future" came in seventh place.[6]

This season makes use of two pieces of theme music: one opening theme and one ending theme. The opening theme, titled "Moonlight Densetsu" (ムーンライト伝説,Mūnraito Densetsu?, lit. "Moonlight Legend") , is performed by the idol group DALI.[7] The ending theme "Otome no Policy" (乙女のポリシー,Otome no Porishī?, lit. "A Maiden's Policy") is performed by Yoko Ishida.[7] DIC Entertainment used an English-language version of the Japanese opening theme as both the opening and ending theme.[8]

Usagi and her friends live happily but separately as ordinary humans, the memories of the battles against the Dark Kingdom gone. When a new evil appears in the form of two aliens called Ail and Ann, Luna restores Usagi's memories and her ability to transform into Sailor Moon.

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"So You Want to Be in Pictures"
"For Love and for Justice: Sailor Guardians Once Again""Ai to seigi yue! Sērā Senshi futatabi"(愛と正義ゆえ!セーラー戦士再び)

March 13, 1993

November 13, 1995

Ami, Rei, Makoto, and Minako meet by chance during a casting call for a potential movie role, but an infiltration by Seijuro and Natsumi's monstrous "Cardian" forces Luna to reawaken their former memories as Sailor Senshi so that they can battle the new threat.

Makoto becomes distraught when a Cardian targets Shinozaki (her best friend; named Ken in the English dub) and she must fight to protect him, despite feeling weak from donating blood to him. A mysterious new ally appears, calling himself the Moonlight Knight.

Usagi goes with her younger brother and father to a virtual-reality arcade which another Cardian attacks. But Usagi's Sailor powers begin to malfunction in the midst of the battle, preventing her from defeating the enemy.

A Cardian attack during a cherry-blossom viewing renders Usagi powerless and her friends helpless until Queen Serenity fuses the Silver Crystal with Usagi's locket, giving her a new transformation, the Crystal Star Broach that is activated by saying Moon Crystal Power- and a new much stronger wand known as the Cutie Moon Rod that activates the "Moon Princess Halation" attack.

Minako becomes entangled with a kindergarten student who hero-worships Sailor Moon, just as the aliens choose to target younger victims for their energy. Sailor Venus becomes much stronger and more powerful and gains a new much stronger attack called Venus Meteor Shower.

When a Cardian attacks a nursery, Usagi and Mamoru have to watch over a baby boy together, even though Mamoru still doesn't remember their previous strong and close romantic love connection. Sailor Mercury gains a new and much stronger attack, Bubble Spray Freezing, that can freeze enemies in solid ice.

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"Raye's Day in the Spotlight"
"The School Festival is for Me: Queen Rei's Song""Bunkasai wa watashi no tame?! Rei joō nesshō"(文化祭は私のため?!レイ女王熱唱)

May 8, 1993

November 21, 1995

Rei goes into song-writing for a festival at her school. Ail and Ann target the event and find themselves unwittingly becoming part of the festivities. Sailor Mars gains a much stronger and more powerful fire/flame-based attack Fire Soul Bird that is a massive fireball in the shape of a phoenix.

Makoto tries to reach out towards Ail, her latest crush, with a bentō of love, but merely ends up getting Ann riled and ready to strike back. Sailor Jupiter becomes much stronger and gains a much stronger and more powerful lightning/electric-based attack, Jupiter Thunder Dragon, which is lightning in the shape of a roaring dragon.

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"Mirror, Mirror on the Wall"
"Steal a Kiss from Mamoru! An's Project Snow White""Mamoru no kisu ubae! An no Shirayuki-hime sakusen"(衛のキス奪え!アンの白雪姫作戦)

May 29, 1993

November 23, 1995

Mamoru's college friends put on a production of "Snow White", but all the others pull out, so Usagi and friends volunteer. Ann makes sure she gets the part of Snow White alongside Mamoru's "Prince" role, hoping to steal a kiss. Ail becomes jealous and attacks the production with a Cardian.

Usagi and Ann find themselves stuck in detention together after Usagi is caught eating in class and Ann mouths off to Haruna. Ann gradually resolves to reach out and steal Usagi's energy for survival, just as Ail fights the Senshi with another Cardian.

A Cardian attacks a Sailor Moon show. Ail and Ann begin to feel emotions they have never felt before. Usagi discovers the Doom Tree when she opens a door and it tries to capture her and drain her life energy. The tree overcomes the building.

The Makaiju reveals its history and purpose. Sailor Moon heals and cleanses the tree with her Cutie Moon Specter, which is what it needed instead of evil life energy. The Moonlight Knight reveals himself as a subconscious part of Mamoru, and regains his memories of Usagi. Ann is revived, and she and Ail go on to a new planet to raise a cutting of the Makaiju.

As Mamoru and Usagi lean in for a romantic kiss, a small girl with bright pink hair falls out of the sky and lands on Usagi, demanding the Silver Imperium Crystal from her. The girl, also named Usagi, quickly gets nicknamed "Chibiusa". Usagi starts to become suspicious when she returns home and her family identifies Chibiusa as her cousin.

Ami receives an invitation to study in a school in Germany, and she accepts the offer. But in the end she decides not to go so she can save her friends from a Droid who can control the ice. The Guardian Senshi receive new transformation-devices and new and much stronger Sailor abilities and attacks. Chibiusa continues her search for the Silver Crystal.

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"Gramps in a Pickle"
Women Should Be Strong and Beautiful! Rei's New Killer Move""Onna wa tsuyoku utsukushiku! Rei no shin hissatsu waza"(女は強く美しく!レイの新必殺技)

July 24, 1993

October 30, 1995

Rei's grandfather tries to get more girls into the shrine, but Koan targets it in its role as a Star Point.

Makoto and Minako get into a fight that nearly breaks them apart, but an encounter with Calaveras and Petz (who run a charm-shop near a new Star Point) forces them to work together to defeat the sisters.

Chibiusa tries to go back to the future because she feels that she doesn't belong in the present, but Koan and Berthier surprise her and attack her. She manages to escape, but later Rubeus and the Sisters battle against Sailor Moon and the other Sailor Senshi, who try to protect Chibiusa.

While Mamoru steps up his efforts to drive Usagi away, the Dark Moon once again attacks Chibiusa. The Sailor Senshi try to save her, but Sailor Moon falls into a deep sleep, promoting Tuxedo Mask to passionately kiss her.

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"Enemies No More"
"A Battle of the Flames of Love! Mars vs. Koan""Ai no honō no taiketsu! Māzu tai Kōan"(愛の炎の対決!マーズVSコーアン)

October 2, 1993

November 7, 1995

Koan intends on capturing Chibiusa at the Hikawa Shrine to try and win Rubeus's romantic love. Rubeus rejects Koan, but when Sailor Mars and Yuuichirou show her the true meaning of true love and friendship, Koan accepts Rei's help.

Berthier challenges Sailor Mercury to a game of chess so she can get revenge on her, and ends up discovering the powerful force of true romantic love.

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"Sibling Rivalry"
"Cold-Hearted Rubeus! The Four Sisters of Sorrow""Hijō no Rubeusu! Kanashimi no yon shimai"(非情のルベウス!悲しみの四姉妹)

October 30, 1993

November 9, 1995

Rubeus tries to destroy the Sailor Guardians once and for all by giving the "Black Moon Scepter" to the remaining Ayakashi Sisters so they can kill them. Chibiusa finds out the Sailor Senshi's real identities, and that Usagi, as Sailor Moon, holds the Silver Crystal.

Esmeraude begins a new assault on Tokyo, targeting the grand opening of a pastry-shop which the Senshi check out.

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"Promises Fulfilled"
"Our Feelings are the Same! Usagi and Mamoru in Love Once Again""Omoi wa onaji! Usagi to Mamoru no ai futatabi"(想いは同じ!うさぎと衛の愛再び)

December 11, 1993

October 18, 1997

Desperate in wanting herself and Mamoru together again, Usagi takes a craft-session for a special good-luck bracelet. But the bracelet turns out as an energy-siphon for the latest Droid, bringing Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask together and ultimately leading Mamoru to defy his nightmares and to reunite with his true love and sweetheart, Usagi.

With nearly all of the Sailor Soldiers' bedridden due to a virus (created by Esmeraude to incapacitate them), Minako decides to play nursemaid to help them out... causing one disaster after another from her "good" intentions.

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"Dog Day For Artemis"
"Artemis' Adventure! The Evil Animal Kingdom""Arutemisu no bōken! Ma no dōbutsu ōkoku"(アルテミスの冒険!魔の動物王国)

Esmeraude targets Chibiusa's school, forcing Chibiusa to witness her friends and classmates turned against her. After Usagi and the others assist in saving them, Chibiusa finally decides to return to the future to face her problems head-on.

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"Future Shocked"
"Journey to the Future! Battle in the Space-Time Corridor""Mirai he no tabidachi! Jikū kairō no tatakai"(未来への旅立ち!時空回廊の戦い)

January 22, 1994

November 12, 1997

Sailor Moon and the rest of the team travel to the future and encounter Sailor Pluto once again. She opens the Gates of Time, and once in the Space-Time Corridor, they find out that Esmeraude has planned a trap for them. Esmeraude sends Droid Ryuax after the team and demands her to bring back Chibiusa and purposely forgets to tell her to bring back Sailor Moon - leaving Ryuax to kill Sailor Moon but after a full-blown battle the Sailor Senshi destroy Ryuax with the Sailor Planet attack and enter the gate of the future.

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"Legend Of The Negamoon"
"The Shocking Future! Dimande's Dark Ambition""Shōgeki no mirai! Demando no kuroki yabō"(衝撃の未来!デマンドの黒き野望)

January 29, 1994

November 13, 1997

When the Sailor Senshi arrive in the future, they see that Crystal Tokyo looks like a ghost town. They encounter King Endymion, who is revealed to be Tuxedo Mask's future self, and tells them the legend of the Black Moon family, and reveals Chibiusa as the daughter of Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon in the future of Crystal Tokyo. Meanwhile, Prince Diamond kidnaps Sailor Moon due to her great resemblance to the beautiful Neo-Queen Serenity.

The Wiseman kidnaps Chibiusa from the Crystal Palace and fills her mind with false thoughts that no one cares for or loves her. Meanwhile, he uses Esmeraude, who has gone to him in order to make her Prince Diamond's queen. Wiseman tricks her, giving her a false crown, which transforms her into a huge dragon, in order to distract Sailor Moon from his real purpose. In the end the Sailor Senshi and Tuxedo Mask unleash attacks on the apparently invincible dragon — still not recognizing it as Esmeraude in disguise, and then Sailor Moon unleashes Moon Princess Halation. The dragon disintegrates and becomes Esmeraude, seemingly asleep. Esmeraude disappears, screaming, into a vortex and vanishes into nothing, ending her life. Wiseman laughs and reflects on his gladness at her departure, and then reveals that Sapphire and Prince Diamond will be "joining" Esmeraude. An eerily familiar laugh echoes around the room.

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"Birth of Wicked Lady"
"The Birth of Black Lady, The Queen of Darkness""Ankoku no joō Burakku Redi no tanjō"(暗黒の女王ブラックレディの誕生)

February 12, 1994

November 17, 1997

The Wiseman kidnaps Chibiusa and brainwashes her and tell's her lies about her family and friends. He then uses his evil magic to the make her older, creating her darker alter-ego, Black Lady, and then uses her to open a Dark Portal in present-day Tokyo.

Sapphire discovers the truth regarding Wiseman's ultimate plan, forcing him to escape to the past where the four former Ayakashi Sisters (whom Sailor Moon had healed with the Silver Crystal) discover him. But Wiseman tracks him down and kills him before he can warn his older brother of the true evil.

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"Diamond In The Rough"
"Believe in Love and the Future! Usagi's Determination""Ai to mirai wo shinjite! Usagi no kesshin"(愛と未来を信じて!うさぎの決心)

February 26, 1994

November 19, 1997

The Sailor Senshi enter the growing Dark Crystal to stop the Wiseman, but Prince Dimande abducts Sailor Moon one more time. After finally helping him realize what is really going on, Dimande ultimately sacrifices himself to allow her to save both the present and future.

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"Final Battle"
"The Final Battle Between Light and Darkness! Love Sworn to the Future""Hikari to yami no saishū kessen! Mirai he chikau ai"(光と闇の最終決戦!未来へ誓う愛)

March 5, 1994

November 20, 1997

The Sailor Senshi attempt to enter the Dark Gate, but Black Lady appears and attacks them. Sailor Moon tries to use the enormous energy and power of the Silver Crystal to show Black Lady her true memories. After a while, Black Lady turns back into Chibiusa. Death Phantom opens the Dark Gate to attack the Earth, and Sailor Moon must fight. Chibiusa cries, and her tear forms the Silver Crystal of the future. Together, Neo Queen Serenity and Chibiusa overpower the Death Phantom, destroying him and the Black Crystal forever. Later, Chibiusa returns to the future of Crystal Tokyo, and is finally reunited with her mother and father, and the future Sailor Senshi.

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"Follow the Leader"
"Usagi and the Girls' Resolve! Prelude to a new Battle""Usagi-tachi no ketsui! Atarashiki tatakai no jokyoku"(うさぎ達の決意!新しき戦いの序曲)

March 12, 1994

November 21, 1997

A recap of the two previous seasons as well as a preview for the third season, Sailor Moon S. During the voice-overs, the Sailor Soldiers' argue over who will become the new main character.

The Makaiju is a minor group of antagonists featured in the first 13 episodes of the anime adaptation of Sailor Moon R. In these episodes, Usagi Tsukino and her friends are reborn on Earth, after defeating the Dark Kingdom, which caused their memories of their lives as the Sailor Senshi begin to disappear. Two new transfer students, Seijuro Ginga and Natsumi Ginga, join Usagi's class at Juuban Junior high school. Around the same time, two new enemies appear, calling themselves Ail and Ann. They had wandered around space alone for many years before reaching Earth, where they finally find energy to collect for the "Makaiju" (Hell Tree) so that they can revive it and give them energy to survive. To do this, they drain the life energy of humans by using monster named 'Cardians'. Seeing that there's no other choice, Luna reawakens Sailor Moon and the rest of the Sailor Senshi to fight these enemies and protect the Earth. Unlike other antagonists of the Sailor Moon franchise, their mission was primarily that of survival, not conquest or destruction.

They are the only two of their kind, and could be considered as siblings as well as romantic partners since they were both born from the Makaiju so it would not be lonely on a planet with the ocean anymore.

Ail(エイル,Eiru?) is a man who poses as Seijūrō Ginga(銀河 星十郎,Ginga Seijūrō?) and lives with his "sister" in Jūban Odyssey Apartments. While trying to blend in with the humans at Usagi's school, Ail develops the role of brother to his girlfriend, Ann. He develops a crush on Usagi, and constantly tries to win her over, much to the dismay of Ann (and Mamoru). He constantly denies these feelings to Ann, knowing her to have fits of jealous rage. Ail uses his flute to summon Cardians, allowing Ann to select which one he will summon.

Hikaru Midorikawa voiced Ail in the original series. In the DIC English version, his name is changed to "Alan Granger" and he is voiced by Vince Corazza. In the Viz Media English version, he is voiced Brian Beacock.

An(アン,An?) is a woman who poses as Natsumi Ginga(銀河 夏美,Ginga Natsumi?) and lives with her "brother" in the Juuban Odyssey Apartments. She develops a crush on Mamoru, and constantly tries to win him over, much to Ail's and Usagi's dismay.

The Makaiju(魔界樹?, lit "Hell Tree"), itself is an alien tree that nourishes Ail and Ann, but it became weak and required energy to stay alive. For some time they supplied it with human energy to revive but eventually it stopped working.

In the final episode of the story arc, the aliens try to give Usagi to it as an offering, because Usagi's energy that the Makaiju stole when caused a sapling to grow on the tree. The tree becomes angered and starts to injure those around it, killing Ann in the process. It did not stop until its alien children realized what love is. The tree tells its story to Sailor Moon. The tree once lived alone on a faraway planet on an island in a vast ocean for countless years until it began to create life (the English dub changed the story to suggest it was once called "The Tree of Life" and that it created life). It gave energy to its children, but eventually they became greedy and began to fight over the power (The English dub, however, changed the tale by claiming that "evil forces" were responsible for corrupting its children). When the fighting destroyed the planet, the tree fled into space with several survivors, but they struggled to survive and in the end, there were only two small children left, Ail and Ann. It was now weak and needed the energy of love to survive. Sailor Moon uses her power to purify the tree, and it disappears. When Ail and Ann reunite, a small sapling appears to them; the tree has been reborn and they are given a chance to start over, and they leave Earth to live a better life with the Makaiju.

The Makaiju was voiced in Japanese by Taeko Nakanishi. In the DIC English adaptation, it was renamed the "Doom Tree" and was voiced by Elizabeth Hanna.

The Cardians(カーディアン,Kādian?) are monsters that are used by Ail and Ann in the anime adaptation. Their mission is to obtain energy to revive the Makaiju by using the Cardians. They are kept in cards until they are summoned by Ail. To summon them, Ail would hold up several cards, and Ann would pick one. The card would then rise into the air and Ail would play a tune on his flute which causes the Cardian to come alive. When a Cardian is destroyed, it changes back into its card form and the picture of the cardian on the card turns black after a few seconds.